


Our Regards

by sansasnarks



Series: Stark Wins Wishlist [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Red Wedding, Starklings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-14
Updated: 2016-06-14
Packaged: 2018-07-14 22:38:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7193735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sansasnarks/pseuds/sansasnarks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robb knows that there won't be a win. There would be no magic savior, no sudden turn, no ally. There would be no win for the Starks today.<br/>Red Wedding from Robb's POV, plus canon divergence near the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our Regards

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wallyallens](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wallyallens/gifts).



Robb barely felt the arrows that had imbedded themselves in his body. He hadn't even felt pain when they sunk into his shoulders, just his body being pushed back by the weight of them. Maybe if he were to focus on them he would feel something, a sharp pain or some blood trickling down his skin, but he's too focused on his wife cradled in his arms, of the blood that's pooled around her belly where their son or daughter should have been. All he could think about was the fact that this was someone who he was supposed to _protect_ , that this was his _wife_ in his arms, but as Talisa stopped shuddering and lay still, Robb knew it wasn’t his wife he was holding anymore.

He was holding his future, and it was dead as he would be in a few moments. 

" _Lord Walder, let it end,"_ he heard his mother yelling.

Bitterly, he wondered what the point of it all was. There was no way for them to win this. No savior would come for them. And it was his fault, wasn't it? He had married Talisa and broken a vow, hadn't listened to his mother's warnings that it would end badly. He had been naive. 

" _He is my son. My first son_." 

If this were a different time, Robb would have laughed at the comment. Her words only highlighted his greatest failure: his inability to protect his siblings. Bran and Rickon were dead, burned and hanged by a man who he had foolishly believed was like a brother to him. He had refused to trade his sisters for the Kingslayer, and now Sansa was married to the Lannister dwarf, and in their clutches she would either live as a slave or soon meet her end. There had been no word on Arya since their father had been executed, meaning she had most likely been killed during the madness that followed. Only Jon remained safe in this war, but he was far away at the Wall, and he had never been Catelyn's to begin with. 

Robb wasn't just Catelyn's first son, but her  _only_ son, and he had singlehandedly brought about his siblings' destruction. 

" _Robb, get up_ ," his mother was yelling. Get up and do  _what?_ Robb wanted to ask. Get up and fight for what? A slim hope of survival? For them to win and return to a burned down home filled with their dead family? A flash of anger passed through Robb, and he couldn't pinpoint what he was angry about. His mother, who wanted to fight against all odds? Theon Greyjoy, who slaughtered his family? The Lannisters, who had kidnapped his sisters? Joffrey Baratheon, who had executed his father? Walder Frey who had betrayed his family? Or was he angry at himself for being so naive, for being so self-centered that he couldn't think about saving his siblings or about keeping sacred vows, but rather disregarded them and did what he thought was right?

If he had more time, perhaps he would be able to figure it out, but the anger was gone in an instant, and he instead found himself thinking about Grey Wind. He hoped his wolf was alive and safe. The rational part of his mind was telling him that the Freys would have killed Grey Wind immediately, but somehow he knew Grey Wind was alive. He didn't know how, but if his wolf were dead, Robb would feel it. They had always been able to sense each other, and Robb knew that Grey Wind was safe somehow, just as Grey Wind must know that Robb wouldn't have much more time. Mentally, Robb urged for Grey Wind to leave without him, to not try to come for him but to run away as fast as possible.

He remembered the doors to the hall were locked - even Grey Wind would be unable to open them. By the time Grey Wind would even get close to opening the doors, Robb would be long dead, and Grey Wind would have to run. Robb was glad for that at least; he didn't want to see his wolf die, didn't want to lose more family than necessary. His mother was still calling for him to get up, to get up and walk out, and Robb sighed and stood up. There was a little glimmer of hope in Catelyn's eyes when Robb turned to face her, but when Robb said, "Mother," it died out, and despite his numbness, Robb found himself saddened by his mother's distraught expression. He never thought about the possibility of his mother dying - not even now, as he had accepted his own death - but Robb _did_ know the he never wanted her to be terrified and hopeless in her death. He would have given anything to not see that look on his mother's face ever again.  

Roose Bolton came up to Robb. For a split second, Robb thought Roose was embracing him, but then he saw the knife and knew then that his last wish would be fulfilled. He could feel his mother's fear radiating off of her from across the room, but Robb no longer felt fear. In fact, part of him welcomed the knife that lay in the traitor's hands. 

" _The Lannisters send their regards,_ " Roose said, and he tightened his hand on the knife. Robb gulped involuntarily, waiting for the impact, but there was a sudden banging at the door, and Roose paused, his hands still tightened around the hilt of the knife. Robb heard the thudding and could hear his wolf's growls from outside, and he heard Walder Frey rise from his seat. 

"Didn't i tell them to kill that blasted wolf?" Frey yelled, but his men were silent, some backing away from the door. One man dared to speak. "Lord Frey, it's not just the wolf...it sounds like something else is there."

The man was right - Grey Wind was definitely outside the door, but he wasn't making the noise. It sounded like metal clanging onto wood - as if someone was going at the door with an axe, and with incredible force. He heard the banging grow louder, and audible gasps as the wood splintered and clattered onto the floor. The men seemed utterly fixed on the door, and from the corner of his eye, Robb saw his mother moving quietly towards him and Roose Bolton, Walder Frey's wife mercifully staying quiet as Catelyn moved. 

"What are you doing?" Frey yelled at Bolton, whose eyes were fixed firmly on the door. "Kill him!"

Bolton's attention returned to Robb, and that was when hell broke loose. 

Catelyn threw Frey's young wife in Roose's direction, and the screaming young woman sobbed as she fell into the older man. Roose made irritated sounds as he tried to push the distraught woman off of him.

"Robb, come here," Catelyn said, grabbing onto Robb and pulling his arm, motioning to a nearby table. Robb wanted to ask her what the point was in hiding- the men who weren't focused on the door had their sights set on Robb and Catelyn, and there was still no escape. This was only delaying the inevitable, after all. Still, Robb allowed his mother to drag him, and helped her flip the table so they could hide from the shooters in the balcony. At least if they were going to die, it wouldn't be by an arrow through the head. 

Robb heard footsteps approach and he wrapped his arms around his mother, whether to shield her or to get comfort from her, he didn't know. "I love you, Mother," he whispered, and Catelyn clutched the knife that was still in her hands. 

"We will  _not_ fall today," she whispered to him, grasping the knife tightly, and Robb let out a small smile, glad that even in the end, his mother would still fight. They stayed like that, waiting for the man to come, but suddenly the banging at the door stopped, and there was an eerie silence in the hall. Robb resisted the urge to peek his head over the table, knowing that if he did he would surely be hit with an arrow. Instead, he paused, waiting for someone to speak, and then he heard another bang. 

_BANG. BANG. BANG._

He heard the door shudder, and some men gasp and fall back as the door's lock fell to the floor. Robb heard Grey Wind then, along with a man's voice.

"Where's Robb Stark?" the man yelled, and one of the men scoffed. 

"The Hound? What are you doing here, deserter?" Robb and Catelyn looked at one another, their eyes displaying the same shock. Robb couldn't recall ever meeting Sandor Clegane, and he wasn't sure if the man's sudden arrival was entirely positive. 

"I'm here to save bloody king in the North," The Hound said, and Robb heard a squishing sound and a man groaning, along with the men's murmers. "You going to let me walk out of here, or am we going to have to kill more of you?" 

Robb wondered about the "we" in the Hound's statement, but then Walder Frey wheezed, "What are you all doing standing there? Kill him!" 

"Killing it is," The Hound said, and Robb heard the clang of metal against metal, along with Grey Wind's growls. He dared to look up over the table then, and took in the sight. The men from the balcony seemed to have disappeared, spooked from the sight that lay before them. Grey Wind was ripping into the men - he was against three Frey men now, but he jumped, knocking two down and ripping at their throats with his teeth. The third man drew his sword shakingly and raised it high, ready to kill Grey Wind, but before Robb could warn him, the man fell to the ground with a gasp. He clutched his stomach, which was puddling out blood, and looked up in shock at the small figure that had suddenly appeared next to him. Robb saw the new person - he could only see the back of their head, but it seemed to be a little boy with a very skinny sword - grasp their sword and run towards another Frey man, shoving the sword into his throat before he could even swing his own weapon. His eyes shifted off the little boy, instead looking in surprise at the Hound, who had apparently come to save them. The man had the force of an army - five men had surrounded him, but he was able to kick one off and swung his axe, catching one man in the stomach. Robb watched entranced as the Hound tried to pull out the axe from the man's stomach. Another soldier swung his sword, but Clegane dodged it easily and ripped out the axe, turning and lodging it firmly into the soldier's leg instead. 

"Robb, let's go," Catelyn urged, standing and pulling her son up. Grey Wind was quickly making his way to Robb and Catelyn, knocking down men in droves to get closer to them. Roose Bolton had managed to get Frey's shrieking wife off of him and stood, knife in his hands, while Frey's wife ran screaming out the door. Bolton turned and caught sight of Robb easily, and made his way towards Robb and Catelyn. 

"Get back," Robb told his mother, pushing her behind him. He was still ready to die, but now that there was hope for his mother, he could at least die saving her. Bolton was closing the distance between them, knife poised, and Robb gulped, wishing that he had grabbed one of the handful of weapons that were lying about now. He needn't have worried, however - Bolton didn't get a step closer before he was tackled by a giant mass. Grey Wind tore Bolton's shoulder, and the man tried feebly attacking him with his knife, sinking the dagger into Grey WInd's thigh before Grey Wind clamped his teeth around Roose Bolton's neck and pulled. The man opened his mouth in a silent scream as his flesh was ripped out, and his body seized for a few seconds before it lay still and the only thing moving around Roose Bolton's body was the blood pooling out of him. 

Grey Wind was at Robb's side immediately, and Robb found himself smiling despite his exhaustion. Grey Wind whined, nudging Robb to move, and Robb looked around the hall. It wasn't filled with as many fighting men as before - the men seemed to have scattered or been killed by the two fighters. Robb watched the little boy take down another man, kicking him so that he'd fall to the floor and raising the sword high and shoving it down into the man's chest. The boy looked up at Robb and Catelyn with Grey Wind, and Robb heard his mother gasp from behind him. 

He hadn't been able to see the face earlier, but as soon as she looked at him he knew who it was. She was still small, ]her hair had been cut to look like that of a boy's, and she possessed fighting skills that the little girl Robb knew would only ever dream of having, but it was her. It was Arya. 

It was as if one of the holes in Robb's heart had been filled, and when he saw two men creep towards her, he didn't feel exhausted anymore. He scooped down, grabbing the knife that lay next to Roose Bolton's mangled body, and ran towards his sister faster than he had ever run in his life. She spun around, as if sensing the men behind her and caught one in the shoulder, kicking the other when he went to grab her. She pulled the sword out of the first man, and Robb ran to her side, blocking the sword of the second man who had gotten up and had tried to strike Arya. The fight was easy - Frey's men weren't trained to fight well - and within a second, Robb had found a weak spot and stabbed the man with his dagger. Next to him, Arya stabbed the man on the floor, pulling the sword out when the man stopped gurgling and became quiet.

"Arya?" Robb asked her, and his little sister looked up with him and threw herself into his arms. her sword clattering to the floor. Robb hugged her to his chest, holding her tightly to him. He heard footsteps run towards him and Arya, and he turned, setting Arya, one hand on Arya and the other readying his knife. The Frey man ran towards Robb, but the Hound appeared and swung his axe into the man's chest. The man sputtered out blood and looked down at his chest, seemingly surprised by the axe jutting out of it, before falling to the floor with a thud. 

"Think you can save the bloody reunion until after we leave?" The Hound spat, and Robb nodded, letting go of Arya reluctantly. 

"Why? Everyone's dead already," Arya scoffed, and Robb almost laughed at the haughtiness in her voice. Arya had turned into a warrior far more ferocious than Robb had ever seen, but somehow his little sister was still right there. She was right, however - the hall was now completely empty, save for dead bodies, and Walder Frey, who stood shakingly at his chair. Catelyn ran to them with Grey Wind, grabbing Arya and hugging her close, and Robb swallowed, trying not to get emotional as his mother and sister hugged silently. Catelyn let go of her daughter in a second, and Robb saw the tears in her eyes, but she spoke with a loud, clear voice. 

"They may be slain, but there is one Frey who is not," she said with steel in her voice, looking at Walder Frey, who had sat down in his shoddy chair looking over at the hall. 

Catelyn turned to Robb. "We could take him prisoner," she said. 

"You'll take me prisoner over my dead body," the man declared. "I'm glad you-"

"Shut up," Arya said, the annoyance clear in her voice. 

Robb looked at Walder Frey, considering Catelyn's proposition, but then his eyes flickered to the body that was a few feet away from Frey's table. Talisa. "And what would taking him prisoner do?" he asked, his eyes still on his wife. "No one would trade for him. Even if they did, it doesn't change the fact that our people died today." He fixed his eyes on Frey. "Good people." 

"You act as if I care?" Frey laughed. "Kill me, fine. Just do it already." Catelyn, still holding onto her dagger, moved forward, but Robb stopped her. "It has to be me," he said, and she nodded, allowing Robb to move forward. The man was still sitting when Robb reached him.

"Stand up," Robb commanded, and the man spit. "Make me," he responded. 

"Stand up, Lord Frey." Robb repeated the words more firmly. "Do not make me repeat myself." He expected to have to physically make Frey stand, but to his credit, Walder Frey stood and faced Robb. 

"Walder Frey, you have betrayed House Stark. You killed those under your protection and allied with the Lannisters, and for that, you must be executed." Robb paused, trying to think of what else he should say, but he couldn't think of the words. He simply finished: "Do you have any last words?" 

"Yes," the man said, and he spit at Robb's feet. "I'd do this all over again. You're a shit king." 

Robb's jaw set, and he nodded. "So be it," he said, and he plunged the knife into the old man's heart, sitting the man back onto his dirty chair. Walder Frey gasped a little when the knife went in, but by the time his body reached the seat, he had stopped breathing. 

"The Starks send their regards," Robb spoke quietly to the body, and he slowly took out the knife. 

He turned, looking at the group in front of him - Grey Wind, standing even taller than Arya, who stood next with her sword in her hand next to Catelyn. Sandor Clegane stood behind the two with his arms crossed, not looking at anyone in the room. 

"Thank you," Robb said to the man, and Clegane snorted. 

"You can thank me by paying me for returning this one," he said, nodding his head at Arya, and she opened her mouth, ready to retort, but Robb cut in. 

"You will have payment," he promised, walking off the steps and stopping at Talisa's body. "After we bury my wife," he said softly, bending down to his wife and placing his hands over her stomach. He looked up. "And after we return to Winterfell." 

Perhaps later they would change their plans and ride to the Wall to be with Jon, or to an allied house who would shelter him, but that conversation would come later. Even a real reunion between him and his sister would have to come later -  he still wanted to sit down with her and give her a proper hug and ask her what had happened, but right now, he needed to give Talisa a proper burial, and make sure that what was left of his family was safe. Thankfully, Catelyn and Arya held no arguments, and The Hound didn't protest but instead said, "We should leave soon, then. More men will come when they don't hear from Frey." 

Robb nodded and stood, picking up Talisa from the floor and holding her close to him. "Let's go home," he said, and followed his family out the door. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I literally just did this so I could make Meg (wallyallens/captainhunters) think that I was going to kill Robb off and then surprise her by saving him (let's be real; I wasn't going to kill off my second favorite Stark). 
> 
> Also, this is going to be part of a new series where I just blatantly take Stark losses or Stark abusers and have the Starks win (the series is Stark Wins Wishlist and will be updated every now and then), so there's that.


End file.
